"A sincere wish--that my brother should live long to enjoy his honours!"
echoed Val, in a surprised tone. "Indeed it is. I hope he will live to a
green old age, and leave goodly sons to succeed him."
Maude laughed. A brighter hue stole into her face, a softer shade to her
eyes: she saw herself, as in a vision, the goodly mother of those goodly
sons.
"Are you going to wear _that_?" she asked, touching the knot of ribbon in
Miss Ashton's hands with her petulant fingers. "They are Lord Hartledon's
colours."
"I shall wear it on Monday. Lord Hartledon gave it to me."
A rash avowal. The competitors, in a sort of joke, had each given away
one knot of his own colours. Lady Maude had had three given to her; but
she was looking for another worth them all--from Lord Hartledon. And
now--it was given, it appeared, to Anne Ashton! For her very life she
could not have helped the passionate taunt that escaped from her, not in
words, but in tone:
"To _you_!"
"Kissing goes by favour," broke from the delicate lips of Val Elster, and
Lady Maude could have struck him for the significant, saucy expression of
his violet-blue eyes. "Edward loves Anne better than he ever loved his
sisters; and for any other love--_that's_ still far enough from his
heart, Maude."
She had recovered herself instantly; cried out "Yes" to those in the
distance, as if she heard a call, and went away humming a tune.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99